Seeven or eight weeks into the war, New Jersey sustained 3,457 COVID-19 positive cases in 24 hours, for a statewide total of 105,523, according to Governor Phil Murphy. The state processed 249 new deaths from the virus over the last 24 hours, bringing the statewide death total to 5,863.

“We need to see more progress and more slowing, before we can get on the road to the new normal that awaits our state on the other side of this pandemic,” said Murphy, speaking in the War Memorial this afternoon in Trenton.

“Please, please stay at home,’ the governor added. “Please help us beat this scourge.”

The overall trend line of new COVID-19 hospitalizations, while choppy, continues to go down. Ventilator use is down.

“They’re coming in at a time where hospitals can intervene at an earlier stage of the disease,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.

“There’s a certain amount to the experience curve,” the governor explained.

But the curve needs to drop more, he said.

“We are continually continuing to expand our testing sites,” he added. “We are not where we need to be. …We are confident we can stand up the testing regime we need going forward.”

The biggest factor leading to diminished hospitalizations is social distancing, Murphy said.

“Don’t let your guard down.”